The Light and the Dark
by SpeckleFish326
Summary: Alexa, Mitch and Jerome are searching in vain for a safe home. Join them as they find romance, sadness, pain, and rejoicing. Many more YouTubers to come! Rated T for mild injuries and my paranoia. My First FanFic! :) Pairings: Jerome/Louise, Ryan/Ashley, Mitch/OC, possible Adam/Ty
1. The Squid Attack

**Alexa's POV**

I ran faster through the trees. I could hear the police sirens behind me, getting closer. I ran faster still. A river stretched in front of me, so I climbed a tree and jumped into it. Now the squids' police wolves couldn't track me. I knew I would be safe about a mile away. I swam a bit, but then decided it would be easier to let the current push me along.

When I got to my destination, I climbed onto the riverbank. I could see our camp in front of me – The sleeping bags on the ground, the campfire pit, and the brambles that formed a semi-wall around our clearing. And I also saw Mitch.

Mitch Hughes and Jerome Aceti were my two closest friends, but I had had a crush on Mitch for a while now. He saw me come out of the river, and ran over. I was suddenly given a bear hug that made my heart flutter. I noticed a gash on his cheek.

"Whoa, what happened?" I asked.

"Pulaski had a switchblade – she found me when I went to get food." He explained. "But the important thing, Lex, is that you're safe."

Seargent Ginger Pulaski was a ruthless member of the SPF (Squid Police Force) that was more of a hired assassin than a keeper of the peace. I had lost many of the people I loved at her hands, like my Aunt Sophia or my cousin, Marian.

"Wait a minute," I asked. "Where is Jerome?"

"I – I don't know." Mitch answered. I could tell he was holding back tears.

"I'll give you a hint," someone called. "I'm up in this tree right here." Jerome jumped from the large oak to our left and landed behind Mitch. "I've been up there for _half an hour_. You didn't notice." He laughed.

Mitch's face got red, like it did whenever he was angry. An evil smile played on his lips. "Hey Jerome, guess what I do to mean men who worry their best friends sick?" he asked.

"What?" replied Jerome. Mitch grabbed him in a headlock and gave him a noogie. "I give them NOOGIES!" Mitch announced. Jerome started yelling about how Mitch was ruining his hair and swearing in Italian. Just then, I thought I heard something.

"Guys, shut up!" I commanded. They froze. Then I saw it: the derpy eyes, the blue tentacles, _the pistol aimed at Mitch's head_. There was a SQUID in our river!

"GET DOWN!" I yelled, tackling Mitch and Jerome. The squid's bullet zoomed over our heads. Ginger Pulaski emerged from the woods, firing her own gun. I felt a pain in my foot and realized that she had shot me. I had to give Jerome some credit; he had managed to grab the food and a first-aid kit. Mitch picked me up, bridal-style, and they took off at a run.

"You'll be okay Lexi," he whispered to me. He was crying; I knew because some of the tears had fallen on my face. "You'll be okay." He repeated.

I believed him at that moment, I knew that if Mitch Hughes said I would be fine, then I would be. I knew I was going to pass out, and I did. My final thought before the world went black?

_How did they find us?_


	2. Backstories

**Mitch's POV**

Jerome was sitting with Alexa. She was still unconscious, three hours after being shot in the foot. I stood at the entrance to the small cave we were hiding in for the night, keeping watch over my two best friends. Lexi was wrapped in my red-and-black checkered hoodie. She had started shivering an hour ago and I decided that she need it more than I did.

"You know what we have to do?" Jerome began. "We need to find Adam."

"Adam's dead." I said. Adam Dahlberg was the lifeblood of our high school group of friends. Three years ago, in our sophomore year, Adam lost his parents when the squids raided his neighborhood. He made the mistake of trying to organize a rebellion against the King Squid. Adam was sixteen when he was shot in the leg (in the middle of class) and dragged out of school screaming.

"You know he's alive, Biggums. Adam would never go down without a fight. He's alive and well, and maybe –"

"NO JEROME!" I yelled. "He's DEAD! Just like the rest of them! Just like Ty and Jason and Ian and Quentin and Ryan and Ashley and Brandon and Jordan and Louise! THEY ARE ALL GONE!"

Jerome's face contorted into an expression of pure grief. I knew I had hurt him. I'd gone too far. I'd brought up Louise.

Louise had been Jerome's girlfriend since our freshmen year in high school. They had an apartment, went to prom together, and had even got engaged when they were only 18. I had never seen him that happy. But two months before their wedding, Louise had jury duty. She, and our friend Ian Stapleton who was on jury duty the same week, came out of the courthouse after ruling a squid guilty. A whole mob of squids nabbed them and the 16 other people on the jury and loaded them in a MACK truck. We hadn't seen Louise or Ian since that day. Everyone was upset, but no one as distraught as Jerome.

I sat down next to my friend and apologized. We sat there in the cave, thinking of the people we loved who had been taken away. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep. My dreams were of the golden days before the squids. I should have known this was coming, for nothing gold can stay.


	3. The Mountain Wall

**Jerome's POV**

I woke up the next morning in the same cave. Mitch was awake already. He was sitting by the unconscious Alexa. He was stroking her hair gently, and whispering to her. It was cute, but also kind-of creepy. I pretended to be just waking up, giving Mitch enough time to pull himself together and pretend nothing happened. It was so obvious that they liked each other, and it was really weird that neither of them really noticed the other fawning over them.

Alexa finally woke up about an hour later, disoriented and in pain. That was no surprise, considering that she had been shot the day before. I packed up the food, and gave Lexi a few Advil's from the first-aid kit. I doubt that the painkiller did much, but it was the best that we could do.

After a long talk, we decided to head for the Iron Mountain Range, because it seemed safest. I carried our meager supplies, while Mitch carried Alexa, who couldn't walk. We took one last look at the woods, where we had lived for five months, and began the long march to the mountains.

Five hours later, we came across a weird thing in the mountains. It was a big cobblestone wall with an iron gate. It looked like something out of a Disney movie, only darker and more foreboding. There were no visible guards, but it still felt as if we were being watched.

"Should we check it out?" Alexa asked.

"No Way! Not with you like this! We're going to set up camp in a place far away from this weird wall thing and never come back to it."

There was a low chuckle that sounded from behind me. "Oh, no." the strange man said. "I'm afraid you are going to be coming inside. And you have no choice."


	4. Feelings and Friends

**Mitch's POV**

I stood still, afraid that if I turned, the stranger would have a gun, and Lexi would be shot. I saw Jerome stand in front of me, creating a human shield between the man and me and Lex. I swore to God that if either of them was hurt, I would never forgive myself.

"I believe you are mistaken," Jerome said, formally. "We do have a choice on whether or not we go."

"That is true," said the stranger, "But refusing me would be an unwise choice." I heard Jerome gasp quietly. I knew it had happened. The man had pulled a gun.

Suddenly he asked, "Do I know you?"

I turned, praying that he wouldn't shoot, and said, "I don't know, I don't usually waste my time hanging out with scumbags like you." Lexi shushed me. Turning her head towards the stranger, she said, "Take off your hood."

The man complied, removing the black cloak from his face. I did know him. He still had his signature sunglasses and his mop of curly brown hair. He had good amount of stubble, like he hadn't shaved in a few days, and a long scar now ran down the side of his face. But I could easily recognize one of my oldest friends.

"Adam!" I cried, as Jerome enveloped our friend in a bear hug. "How'd you escape the squids?"

"It's a long story, I'm just glad to see you guys again!" He replied. "And I see that you two have gotten close." Adam pointed at Lexi, lying in my arms.

"I can't walk. Pulaski shot me in the foot." said Lexi. Adam paled. "Well," he began, 'I think I know some people who can fix that up a bit for you." He fired his gun in the air twice. The great iron gate slowly grinded open. "Welcome to my home!" Adam exclaimed.

The Rebel Camp was a colorful place. It was located in a large valley between a few of the mountains. Wildflowers grew everywhere. There were tons of cabins, and people walking around. A few big buildings were scattered here and there.

Adam took us directly to the hospital. It was a large brick building in the center of camp. I carried Lexi inside, and laid her down on her hospital bed when she was given a room. Adam offered to find places to stay for Jerome and I. Jerome accepted the offer, but I made it blatantly clear that I would be staying overnight at the hospital. An armchair was brought in. it was around 11:30 at the time, so we decided to go to sleep.

"You don't have to stay here you know, I'm safe enough." She said.

"I know I don't have to, but I'm gonna." I answered.

"You've been carrying me around all day! You must be tired."

"Nah, you're light as a feather. Now sleep."

"Fine." Lexi begrudgingly went to sleep. She was dead to the world as soon as her head hit the pillow. She snored quietly. It was adorable.

"Night Lexi." I said quietly. Without thinking, I leaned down, and kissed her forehead. She didn't even stir. Settling back into my chair, I prepared to go to sleep, but before I did, I whispered across the room, "I love you, Alexa Walters.'


	5. Author's Note

**Dear anyone who has read this far,**

** Thank you so much! I am so glad that you find my story interesting! Please review and give me any ideas, comments, or constructive criticism you want!**

**~ SpeckleFish326**


	6. Reunion

**Because I forgot to do a disclaimer, I am doing one now! I do not own any of the YouTubers, but I do own Lexi, Ginger Pulaski, and the storyline. Enjoy Chapter 5!**

**Alexa's POV**

When I woke up the next morning, Mitch was gone. I heard him arguing with Tiffany, the nurse. He wanted to stay, but Tiffany said that he had to leave. Mitch came into the room a few minutes later.

"They say I have to leave." He said angrily.

"It's alright, I'll be fine." I replied. He still looked angry. "Okay," he replied. "I'll go if that's what's best for you. But if they do anything that makes you uncomfortable, let me know, and I'll be back here in minutes. OK?"

"Okay," I agreed. He waved goodbye and left the room. A few minutes later, a different nurse came in. I knew her from high school. Her name was Ashley. We said hi and spent a few minutes talking, before she gave me my medication.

"An apple?" I asked. My so-called medicine was nothing more than a shiny, yellow apple. It almost looked metallic.

"Yep." She answered. "A budder apple. Their healing powers are far better than any healing potion. With this, you'll be fully recovered in an hour or two, and then you can move into your new house!"

_Whatever you say, _I thought skeptically. I sunk my teeth into the apple, bit a chunk out of it, and swallowed. In seconds, I felt a shiver go through my body. The dull ache in my foot disappeared. I pulled back the blanket and looked. A small scar had replaced the wound where they had surgically removed the bullet from my foot. I gasped; Ashley giggled.

"Amazing, isn't it?" she said. I was speechless, so I just nodded my head yes.

A few hours later, I could walk again. That apple did do wonders. Adam came to pick me up, with Jerome and Mitch. I was surrounded in a group hug. Then, all of us (even Ashley) went on a tour of the camp. Adam and Ashley showed us the blacksmith's shop, the gunsmith, the prison, the coffee shop, and lots of other places. Our final stop was the houses.

"Okay," Adam began, "Jerome, Your house is that one..." he pointed at a log cabin to our left. "Mitch's is over there…" he waved at a house with white siding a bit farther down the road. "And Lexi is gonna be your neighbor." He finished, pointing at the blue house next door to Mitch's.

"Try to be inside by 9:30, because monsters start to come out around 10:00." Ashley said. She and Adam bid us goodbye, and gave us our house keys. I decided to check out my house, so I walked to it and opened the door.

It was a four room house, with a living room (40 inch flatscreen and couch –and-loveseat set included), kitchen/dining room, bathroom, and a bedroom with a queen size bed and another TV. The first thing I did was take a shower. Then I got dressed in the same clothes and went out to get new ones. Adam had given me some gold ingots, which were the currency, so I was able to stock up on food and get myself a washing machine and dryer, cell phone, and some new clothes.

I met up with Mitch and Jerome after I was done shopping, and we decided to go out for dinner. There was a nice-looking restaurant in town. We went there, were seated, and were told that our waitress would be by shortly. I was so busy talking that I barely noticed the girl when she came around.

"Hi, I'm going to be your waitress for tonight." She said. "Can I interest you in some drinks?"

"Yeah." Said Jerome. "I'll have a –" he looked up and stopped abruptly. Wondering what was going on, I looked at the waitress. My eyes must have bugged out of my head when I looked at her. I recognized her easily. So did Mitch.

"Louise?" Jerome asked.


	7. Reunion Part 2

**WARNING: Lerome fluff ahead!**

**Jerome's POV**

"Jerome?" she asked. "Is that you?'

"Last I checked," I said. "Oh my gosh, I'm so glad to see you! I missed you so much!" Louise gave me a bear hug. Out of instinct, I leaned down and kissed her. It took a minute to register that Mitch was talking to me. "It's so great to see you Louise!" he said. "I think I'm gonna take Lexi out somewhere else, so you two can have some time to catch up."

"Okay," I said. "Be careful." Alexa and Mitch said goodbye, and left the premises. I was glad in a guilty sort of way; I loved my friends, but right then I just wanted to hang out with Louise.

Speaking of Louise, she was crying softly in my arms. "Lou, what's wrong?" I asked nervously.

"Nothing," she replied through sniffles. "I'm just so happy! I was so afraid that you would move on and forget about me."

"Move on? Never." I said. "How could I find someone as perfect as you? And I know it sounds really cliché." She smiled. I noticed a platinum and blue diamond engagement ring on her hand, the same one I had given to her all those years ago.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_ It was a beautiful spring day. I was taking Louise out to this barbecue place she liked, and then we were going to see THE HUNGER GAMES. I fiddled with the blue velvet box in my coat pocket. My stomach felt like butterflies – no, snakes – were crawling around inside of it. She asked me if I was okay, I told her I was perfectly fine. We got popcorn and root beers and headed into the theater._

_ I didn't really pay attention to the film all that much, but I remembered the part where Rue died, because Lou started to cry. After the movie was over, we headed out to the lobby. It was a pretty fancy theater, with velvet and gold furnishings. I got down on my knees and pulled out the ring. She gasped. Everyone around seemed to stop and watch, but I didn't even notice them. My attention was on Lou._

_ "Louise," I began, "Ever since I met you four years ago, my life has brightened. You light up a room when you walk in, you make me laugh, and you make me smile. I don't ever want to be without you. Will you do me the honor of making me the happiest man in the world?"_

_ She looked so happy as she bent down and kissed me. "Yes!" Louise said. _

_*END OF FLASHBACK*_

"You still have the ring!" I exclaimed.

"Of course I do!" she exclaimed. "We're still engaged, aren't we?"

"If that's what you want," I said. She nodded. Just then, another waiter, a man with hair dyed blue and orange, walked over to us. "Louise, what are you doing? That's against policy!" he said.

"It's okay Quentin!" she said. "This is my boyfriend, Jerome."

The man – Quentin – looked pretty embarrassed. He apologized quickly and ran off. Lou looked up at me and said. 'It's the end of my shift, and Quentin's. He's going to do a fireworks show in a few hours. Want to come?"

"Sure." I answered. "Just let me run home and get a jacket."

"Okay Jerome. I'll meet you at the park in, say 45 minutes? Then we can grab some food before the show starts." I nodded.

**Mitch's POV (A few hours later.)**

"And then I said to the guy, 'Back off or I'll knock you into the fountain.' and he's like, 'No." So I took out his knees and he got kinda wet." Lexi concluded. We had just finished a game of laser tag, and we were sitting at the snack bar eating nachos and drinking Cokes.

"Whoa, remind me to never EVER get you angry!" I laughed. Lexi laughed too. I liked the way her nose scrunched up when she laughed. I looked at my phone to check the time: it was 9:45.

"Oh God, we have to get home!" I yelled, gathering the remaining nachos into a take-home container. "What, why?" Lexi asked. I showed her my phone, and she started to grab her stuff. We left in a hurry. About 15 minutes later, we arrived at our street. Lexi gasped. I looked around, and realized that we had a big problem on our hands.

My house was on fire. A fire truck drove by quickly. I could only watch.


	8. Demon Watermelon Wardens

** Hey Guys! Sorry for the last chapter, it was sort-of bad. I had a few mistakes in there. Did you catch them? But anyway, as you probably know from the story summary, I am considering adding some mild Skylox (Adam/Ty) to the story. It would not be a main focus, but it is important to the story's end. PM me or review the story and let me know your opinion on that!**

** Alexa's POV**

I watched, open-mouthed, as an entire fire brigade worked to extinguish the fire. Adam showed up a few minutes later, took one look at the fire, and whipped out his phone. He dialed a number, waited a minute, and then began screaming into the phone for some guy named Quentin to come down to the fire.

Jerome and Louise appeared soon after that, with a guy with blue-and-orange hair in tow. I assumed that he was Quentin. The firemen had succeeded in putting the fire out by that time. Adam walked over to the new guy, holding what looked like a burnt-up firecracker. Quentin began to back away slowly.

"WHAT DID YOU DO QUENTIN?" Adam roared. "I CAME DOWN HERE TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE WAS SAFE! AND I WAS PLANNING ON GOING DOWN TO YOUR HOUSE AND YELLING AT YOU FOR YOUR STUPID FIREWORKS ANYWAY, BUT I GET DOWN HERE AND FIND OUT THAT YOU LIT A HOUSE ON FIRE!"

"But-"

"No buts! Quentin, I didn't want to have to do this, but according to the laws I'm going to have to put you in prison for a few weeks." Adam said solemnly.

"What?" Quentin yelled. "You can't put me in there! Not with the Warden! NOT WITH THE DEMON WATERMELON!"

"What does he mean, demon watermelon?" I whispered to Louise.

"Do you remember Brandon?" she asked. I nodded. "He was experimenting with some potions a few weeks ago and literally turned himself into a person made of watermelon. I kid you not." I guess my face looked pretty funny, because Louise started to laugh. You would probably look the same way if you found out your friend turned himself into a watermelon.

Quentin was put in handcuffs and marched down to the prison. I had mixed feelings about the whole thing – Quentin had set Mitch's house on fire, but couldn't he have a different punishment then being locked in a cell with a watermelon? Mitch and I headed to my house. I set up the pull-out couch and then we both went to bed.

I quickly changed into my new flannel pajamas and then lay down. I couldn't sleep, so I turned on the TV. There was a Harry Potter movie on. About an hour into the movie, I quickly looked out into the living room, to make sure Mitch was okay. He was wide awake, just staring at the ceiling.

'Hey," I asked. 'Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking about something." He replied.

'Night," I said, and then went back into my room.

'Night." I heard him call from the other room. I went to sleep soon after, with the movie still playing.


	9. A Volunteer?

**Sorry sorry sorry! I haven't updated in forever! Please forgive me, here's chapter 8!**

**Ginger Pulaski's POV**

The girl with pink and purple hair stood in front of me. She looked very calm and collected, unlike most of the new officers, or soon-to-be officers. Then again, maybe that was because she was here by choice. Our first volunteer in years.

"Dawn Faith Walters," I said, reading from her file. "Family Members blah blah blah… step-sister to Alexa Michelle Walters, known criminal?" I raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Yes," said Dawn, 'but that's not important." I nodded and continued to read from her file on my computer. She seemed perfect. Too perfect. Dangerous. I wanted to avoid hiring her if I could, but that was next to impossible. The King Squid had personally recommended dawn for the SPF.

"It says here that you are good with knives," I said blandly. Dawn drew a small black dagger from her belt and threw it at me before I could react. The knife was buried in the wall next to my head; it had cut off some of my blond hair. I pulled the dagger from the wall. It was only five inches long, but deadly sharp. I believed that Dawn could have killed me if she wanted to.

"I think I'm okay with them." She said. Dawn plucked the dagger from my hands and shoved it into a sheath on her hip. I was legitimately scared.

Nothing ever scared me.

**Jerome's POV (2 weeks later)**

It was very convenient that there was a bridal shop in town. Louise was taking Alexa, Ashley, Tiffany, and two girls I didn't know, Aurey and Annie, to go get dresses. Alexa was going to be her maid of honor, and the rest would be bridesmaids. A little 5-year-old girl in town that Lou babysat sometimes, Leah, was going to be the flower girl. She was going too.

I, on the other hand, was going to a tuxedo shop with the guys I chose for the wedding party. Mitch was obviously the best man. I chose Adam, Ian, and two other friends of mine, Ty and Jason, to be ushers. Leah's seven-year-old brother, Koda, was chosen to be ring bearer.

When we got to the shop, I knew the guy who was going to be fitting us. His name was ryan, and he was ashley's boyfriend. Ryan took Koda first. The kid looked great in his little suit and royal blue tie. Next, Ryan called in the ushers. I was left alone with Mitch, and koda, who was messing around on the other side of the room. Mitch and I sat silently until he spoke.

"I really can't believe you're getting married next month, Biggums." He said.

"I know! It's crazy isn't it?" I replied. "It feels like just yesterday we were graduating from the eitgh grade. Remember how stressed Lexi was about high school?"

"Yea. She still had her braces then." Mitch answered. "I thought they were kinda cute, but she hated them with a passion."

We sat quietly for a few minutes, reliving all the good times we had together in our heads. I remembered the time we all threw adam into a swimming pool during a water fight, fully clothed. I remembered my sixteenth birthday party, when Ty threw up because we dared him to eat dog food. One of my favorite memories was my first date with Louise. We were 15 at the time, and I took her out for dinner at a nice restaurant. Something in the kitchen caught fire, and everyone was evacuated.

My reminiscing ended with the tinkle of breaking glass. Koda had knocked a vase off of the table at the other end of the room. I heard Adam yell "What was that?" and suddenly he ran into the room. He wore his dress shirt and suit jacket, and just his underwear for pants. Ryan shoved him back into the dressing rooms and began to comfort Koda, who was crying. Mitch and I cleaned up the glass.

Ah, good times.

** So Dawn is a traitor, we have a new POV, and Jerome's getting hitched! What a crazy filler chapther this was! Anyway, please review and tell me what you think of my story.**

**To clalexander: Don't worry! I will #WriteMore!**


	10. Princess and Queen

**Alexa's POV**

My maid-of-honor dress was beautiful. It was strapless, which made me a tad uncomfortable. The dress was aquamarine at the top and faded down into a deep teal at the bottom of the skirt, which brushed the ground. A silver belt went around the waist. I wore silver shoes and had my red hair up in a bun. Louise said I looked like a princess. If I was a princess, she was a queen. Her dress had a sweetheart neckline and sleeves that went down to her elbows. The skirt billowed out from her waist in a wave of white silk. There was a blue satin sash, and her veil had pearls sewn into it. Louise's shoes were 5-inch stilettos, open-toed, in a royal blue color. Linda, the stylist, had put her brown hair in an intricate bun at the top of her head. It involved a curler, a few braids, and a lot of hairspray.

The bridesmaid's dresses were purple layered dresses that came down to the knee. They each had one strap and a metallic gold belt. They all wore gold ballet flats with small, purple flowers on the toes. Their hair was curled and put into fishtail side braids. Leah looked adorable in her dress. It was sparkly and green, with a few white flowers sewn into it. She wore little white heels with white tights. Her hair was in a ponytail. Everybody looked amazing.

A few hours later, we left the bridal salon to bring little Leah home. Koda was in the kitchen with his mother, making brownies. We left Leah to help with the baking, and went out to choose the flowers. Louise chose lilies for the decoration flowers. The bridesmaids each got a bouquet of yellow roses, I got a bouquet of purple tulips, Leah's flower petals were from pink roses, and Louise got a huge bouquet of white roses. I was so excited! I couldn't believe Jerome and Louise were really getting married.


	11. The Wedding, The Kiss, and the Cliffhang

**So here it is guys, the big Lerome wedding scene! Just a short disclaimer before we begin. I do not own the YouTubers, nor do I own the following people: Sophia and Marian (Ch. 1), Michaela, Lauren, Leah, Koda, Jackie, Katie, and Father Cabral. These are all people who are friends of mine who I incorporated into this storyline as a thank-you. If you know me personally and aren't mentioned, thank you anyways! (I'm Talkin' to you bananafizzle!) I also don't own any of the songs that are played at the reception. Anyways, enough of my long rambles and rants! ENJOY THE CHAPTER! Also, PLEASE review and tell me what you think! It makes me so happy!**

** ~SpeckleFish326**

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**Mitch's POV**

I stood at the front of the church with Jerome and the priest. There were so many people here to see Jerome and Louise's marriage! I saw Koda and Leah's family, Ryan, Quentin (Who had been released from prison three weeks prior), Brandon (Who was literally a watermelon man, as Louise had said), and some of Louise's friends, Brice, Tyler, and Jordan. Everyone was chatting quietly and excitedly, or looking at programs, or craning their necks to get a view of Jerome and I. Jerome looked amazing. He had a traditional black tuxedo on, with a scarlet tie and a white rose in the buttonhole. The ushers and I wore similar suits, only my tie was blue and theirs were purple. I watched as Adam, Ty, Jason, and Ian led everyone to their seats.

Soon, everyone was seated. A wedding march began to play. The ushers and the bridesmaids started to walk down the aisle: Adam with Ashley (Ryan seemed okay with it), Ty with Aurey, Jason with Quentin's girlfriend Annie, and Ian with Tiffany. Next came Koda; he was concentrating very hard on keeping his blue silk pillow upright. The wedding rings gleamed and sparkled. Little Leah followed her brother happily. She skipped down the aisle in her little green dress. Her pink rose petals scattered over the church's emerald carpet. Koda and Leah's parents and older sisters, Michaela and Lauren, applauded quietly in their seats.

My mind was blown as Lexi walked down the aisle. She wore a strapless light-to-dark teal dress with silver shoes. She carried a bouquet of purple tulips, and her Weasely-red hair was up in a bun. She didn't have much make-up on. I thought that was a good thing – she didn't need makeup.

I saw Jerome tense up as Louise came down the aisle. She walked with Dan, a good friend, because her dad was back in the city, like all of our families. I took a moment to think about my parents, and Kyleigh, Marley, and Connor, and to wonder how they were getting along without me. Only Kyleigh knew where I had gone, and she swore to secrecy.

Louise looked beautiful in her white dress. She walked up to Jerome. He took her from Dan, and they approached Father Cabral, who would be marrying them. The two said their vows, and then their 'I do's.' "Now, I pronounce you husband and wife." said Father Cabral. "You may kiss the bride."

Jerome kissed Louise, dipping her a little, like they were dancing. The crowd cheered, and so did the wedding party. I felt a few tears drip from my eyes. Hey weren't sad tears, like when my first dog died, or fearful tears, like when Lexi was shot. These were happy tears.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**Alexa's POV (A few hours later, at the reception)**

It was so great to see the wedding. I cried afterwards. I was elated to see Louise and Jerome so happy. They were dancing at the moment, to _All of Me_ by John Legend. When it ended, Louise reached up and kissed Jerome. It was so sweet.

Next, _Am I Wrong _by Nico & Vinz came on. I swayed in my seat as couples joined the newlyweds on the dance floor. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Mitch. "Would you like to dance with me?" he asked quietly. I broke into a grin and said, "Yes Mitch, of course." He took my hand and put his other arm around my waist, and we began to dance slowly.

There was one line in the song that reminded me of him. It went; _Am I wrong, for thinking that we could be something for real? _Suddenly, out of instinct, I kissed him. I kissed Mitch! He seemed surprised, but returned the kiss after a few seconds. I think the song ended, but I wasn't sure and I didn't care. Suddenly, I heard a lot of clapping and a few wolf whistles. Mitch and I broke apart, and I looked around. Everyone was applauding, and Adam and Jerome were the whistlers. I felt my face turn red. Mitch began to say something, but he was stopped by the shattering of glass from the front of the room. I heard someoe shout, "She's got a gun!" Then all hell broke loose.


	12. Dawn

**Hey Guys! So here I am, updating at last! I will not be able to update this story for a few days – I am going to New York for my birthday! I will be back on Tuesday though. Also, there will be a little Skylox this time around. Anyways, here is the chapter! Enjoy! **

**Mitch's POV**

I was dancing with Lexi when the screaming started. Gunshots rang loudly through the reception hall, and glasses shattered. Ashley was shot in the upper arm, and Ryan rushed to help her. Brice went cown with a shot to the leg. Quentin's face was scratched up badly by some flying glass as he tried to get Annie to safety.

I identified five gunmen – four women and a man. Ginger Pulaski was here (of course), as well as her two most faithful officers – Kathryn Charles and Jackie Palm. I knew the man - it was Martin, the owner of the laser tag place that I had gone to with Lexi. He had bloodshot eyes, and I doubted that he was doing this voluntarily.

The last person came as a shock. It was Dawn Thomas, Lexi's step-sister. I had thought her to be trustworthy. I could tell that she was doing this of her own free will, not being controlled like Martin. Her multicolored hair was cut short, almost in a bob. She cackled like a witch as she shot down the wedding guests, but she wasn't aiming to kill.

Suddenly, Martin turned towards us, his gun trained on Lexi. I saw this before she did, and shoved her into a table. Martin's bullet missed Lexi by mere inches, shattering a mirror on the wall behind us. I tackled him, and slammed his head into a chair, effectively knocking him out. Lexi took his gun, just in case it would be needed.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kathryn advancing on Koda, Leah, Lauren, and Michaela. Michaela somehow grabbed an iron sword from a wall decoration, got her siblings under a table, and smacked Kathryn's gun out of her hand. Lexi shot Kathryn's foot from ten yards away, and the officer fell. She had disbelief in her eyes; disbelief that she could have been taken down by Lexi and a middle schooler. Louise came out of nowhere and shepherded the children into the kitchen, where Ian and Aurey were waiting to receive them.

"Everyone stop!" someone shouted. I turned to see that Pulaski was the speaker. She had Ty in a chokehold, with her gun to his head. Tyler and Jordan were holding Jason back. I knew that he would destroy the blond woman given the chance. I expected Adam to be the same way, but he was frozen in place, gaping like a fish.

'No one moves, or Mr. Ellis here will be dispatched." said Pulaski cheerily. "Mr. Dahlberg, if you would come with me please."

"No Adam, don't do it!" Ty yelled. Dawn flounced over and punched him in the gut, knocking the wind out of poor Ty. Adam didn't listen, he just instantly walked over. Ty was released, Adam put in his place. Ty was crying, Tiffany wrapped him in a hug.

"We'll be going now." Said Ginger. She turned, and began to walk away, with Jackie and Dawn. Suddenly, Lexi yelled out, "Dawn, what are you doing?" Dawn turned.

"What am I doing?" she laughed. "WHAT AM I DOING? I'm getting revenge! On this little asshole and his kind! They killed my mother! People like YOU Alexa, they MURDERED MY MOTHER! And I intend to kill as many of them as possible, so THEY CAN SEE WHAT IT"S LIKE TO LOSE SOMEONE YOU LOVE!" Dawn was yelling now. She had out her little black knife, the one that had once been Lexi's. She took it, and what happened next seemed like slow motion.


	13. Ty

**So, this is a very short chapter. Sorry!**

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**Mitch's POV**

_What am I doing?" she laughed. "WHAT AM I DOING? I'm getting revenge! On this little asshole and his kind! They killed my mother! People like YOU Alexa, they MURDERED MY MOTHER! And I intend to kill as many of them as possible, so THEY CAN SEE WHAT IT"S LIKE TO LOSE SOMEONE YOU LOVE!" Dawn was yelling now. She had out her little black knife, the one that had once been Lexi's. She took it, and what happened next seemed like slow motion._

Dawn raised the knife, and I knew she was going to kill Adam. At the last second, Ty broke away from Tiffany and ran in front of Adam. Dawn stabbed him in the stomach, instead of Adam. Ty fell on top of Dawn, with the knife still in him. He was bleeding heavily.

Adam seemed to go on autopilot. He easily broke Pulaski's chokehold and knocked her down. He ran to Ty, gently pulled him off of Dawn, and picked up the girl. Adam threw Dawn about ten feet, where she crashed into a table and rolled into a pile of broken glass. Then he ran back to Ty, who was barely conscious. Adam began to yell out orders.

"Jordan! Jason! Get him down to the hospital! Tiffany, I want you treating him at once! Brandon, Ryan, get these people to the jail – they'll be staying there for a while. Everyone else, get anyone who's wounded down to the hospital too, but Ty is in critical condition. I want him treated first!"

We all began to do what Adam had ordered. Lexi took Ashley down to the hospital, while I picked up Brice.

"This is awkward…" he said.

"Well, I just hope you're okay." I said. This whole situation reminded me a lot of the day Lexi was shot. I was sure a budder apple could fix up most of the people in no time, but I didn't know about Ty.

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**Sorry for the short chapter! So, I am not going to be updating until I get at least 2 reviews! Tell me, do you think Ty is going to die? Review, favorite, and follow please!**

**~SpeckleFish326**


	14. The Plan

**Jerome's POV (Three Days Later)**

I stood outside of Ty's hospital room, holding flowers. Adam was in there currently. That wasn't a surprise. Ashley (who was fine, thanks to a potion of healing) told me that he almost never left the room, ate little, and barely slept. I was alone in the corridor, because Ty was one of the only patients on this floor. He was in a coma; the doctors say that it was caused by immense blood loss. I was very scared for him. Who wouldn't be? Ty was one of my closest friends.

The door was slightly ajar. I heard Adam whispering quietly. I poked my head into the room. Adam's chair was pulled up right next to the bed, and he was muttering to Ty. Suddenly, he burst out crying, sobbing so loudly I was afraid it would bring the nurses in from down the hall. I decided that it would be the opportune moment to come in.

"Hey, buddy," I said, walking in and putting my hand on Adam's shoulder. "What's the matter?"

"He shouldn't be here!" Adam said, gesturing to Ty, in the bed. "He should be out in the town, doing parkour, making people smile! _I should be the one in that bed. _He jumped in front of that knife to save my skin, and I might not ever be able to thank him!"

"Hey, he'll be okay." I said, trying to reassure him.

"But what if he's not?" Adam asked. "What if he never wakes up? I'll never get a chance to tell him anything, never get to see him again! This kid, Jerome, he could light up a room just by walking into it. He could make anyone grin during the darkest situations! He is my _BEST FRIEND,_ and I can't lose him now." He sobbed even louder. I bent down and gave him a hug. Suddenly, I realized I was crying too. We sat in silence for a while. A few minutes later, Adam straightened up.

"Something has to be done about this." He said intensely. "These squids and their human agents have gone too far! They took my family away, they took my hope away, and they've hurt too many of my friends. This has got to end, and I am going to be the one who ends it." He got up, took one last look at the unconscious Ty, and left the room.

I was worried that Adam had gone insane. That can happen to a person who saw their best friend almost stabbed to death. I took my abandoned rose bouquet and put it in the vase on Ty's bedside table. Then I got up, and followed Adam out of the room, closing the door quietly behind me.

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**TIME SKIP, 2 HOURS LATER**

I sat in a cold metal folding chair in a meeting room. Louise and Mitch were on either side of me, and Alexa was next to Mitch. There were a lot of people here that we knew, and a few that we didn't. Everyone was listening as Adam pitched us his plan of attack.

"So," he began. "First we send a small scouting party to gather details about the Squid Palace. Then, based on those details, we create a strong, foolproof plan of attack. We will kill the King Squid once and for all, and return the world to the way it was before his reign of terror! Any questions?"

There were no questions. I for one thought that this plan was a bit shaky. But Jason stood from his chair. "I'm for it." He said.

"Me too." Said Brice, standing up. 'If we don't do this, who knows if we'll survive or not?"

"I'm in too." Said ian, rising from his chair. "For Ty."

Ryan stood next. "For Ashley." He said.

Mitch stood. "For Lexi."

Alexa rose as well. "For Dawn."

Lou stood. "For Jerome."

Martin stood. "For my own free will, and for yours." He said. "And that's because it isn't fun to be mind-controlled and almost kill your friends. Don't take free will for granted."

Slowly but surely, everyone in the room stood, and stated their reason for joining this cause. Annie stood for Quentin, and Aurey stood for Leah, Koda, Michaela, and Lauren. Tyler stood for his girlfriend Shelby, who had been shot in the knee by Dawn. Ashley stood for her family back in the city .Jordan stood for Adam, and so did a guy named Taylor. I was the last to be still sitting.

Adam looked at me expectantly. "Well?" he said.

I stood from my chair, without hesitation. "For you guys," I said. "the friends who are more like my family. I can't bear to see any more of you hurt, physically," I looked at Lexi and thought of Ty, "Or emotionally." I looked at Adam and Mitch.

"So it's settled then." Said a person from the back of the room.

"Yes." Said Adam, with a grim look on his face. "I guess it is."

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** So what did you guys think? Review and let me know – I love getting feedback from you readers out there! Once again, I will not be updating until I get at least 2 reviews! So if you want to see what happens next, GO REVIEW! Love you all!**

** ~SpeckleFish326 **


	15. Authors Note 2 One-shots

** Hey guys! So I got two reviews, but I will not be able to upload a chapter today. So, an Author's Note was created! I want to talk to you guys about an idea I had.**

** So basically, in addition to writing **_**The Light and the Dark**_**, I'm going to be creating a series of one-shots about the story that explain some of the more obscure parts of it. Please PM or review and let me know what you think of the idea, and tell me about any one-shots that you think need to be made! Here is a short list of some of the one-shots I have planned.**

**The history of Dawn's black knife.**

**How Dawn and Lexi met, and became step-sisters.**

**Adam's abduction, and how he escaped from the squids (This one may be a 3 chapter story or a two-shot, depending on some stuff.)**

**A bit about Ginger Pulaski's past and present life.**

**P.S. – This was actually typed yesterday, so there may be a chapter coming out later!**


	16. Author's Note 3: Venting

**Hey guys! Sorry that this isn't a chapter, but I'm kind-of sad at the moment. So I thought – like the YouTubers say, what better way to express my feelings then venting about it to you guys? Well, here goes nothing. (P.S. – feel free to ignore this).**

** I go to a very small private school. I won't tell you where. But to give you an Ida of how small it is, there are 11 kids in my whole grade. There are 5 boys, and 6 girls. I just found out from one of the guys that 4 of the other girls are hanging out and doing fun stuff without inviting me or my best friend. I consider myself good friends with these girls, and 2 even read and review this story! So, you know, it kind-of hurts. I what hurts even more is that my mom knew about it from Facebook and didn't tell me. I've been watching CaptainSparklez and Sky and the Bajan all morning, because as they say, "Just press play and the pain goes away."**

** I know that this is nowhere near as bad as other people's sadness, so I'm sorry if this bores you or anything like that. I may not even post this. But it is important to me, so if you read this, thanks. Thank you so much.**

** Anyways, review and tell me about my one-shots! I love to hear your ideas and get constructive criticism! **

**Also: To Sushilover8 and clalexander: Thank you guys for being some of my only reviewers that are authors! I'm really touched that you guys like it so much as to review almost every chapter! Here are some cookies for you. (::) (::) (::) (::)**


	17. Preparations

**Wow! An actual chapter! This isn't an author's note! How amazing!**

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** Alexa's POV (1 month later)**

I adjusted the golden choker around my neck. I was in a hair salon, looking at the newly made-over me. Adam stood behind me, along with Ashley. Her hair was dyed blonde, and she was wearing blue-gray eye-shadow and red lipstick. I was also wearing makeup. Adam was just wearing his normal clothes. The three of us partially made up "Phase 1" of Adam's scheme. The scouting mission, comprised of Ryan, Jerome, Annie, and a girl called Krystal, had come back about a week ago with enough details for us to form a half-decent plan.

Ashley was wearing Pulaski's diamond necklace and an SPF shirt. I wore Dawn's blue shirt, and I had a green contact lens in my right eye, to match her alley-cat eyes. Linda, the same stylist who did Jerome and Louise's wedding, had straightened Ashley's hair and made it blonde. She also cut my hair short, and dyed it pink and purple. I was wearing Dawn's normal magenta lipstick, and a lot of foundation to cover up my freckles. Linda had also done something to Adam that made the scar on his cheek look fresh and not a few years old.

The plan was that Ashley and I, disguised as Pulaski and Dawn, were to enter the Squid King's palace with Adam, pretending we captured him. We would be joined by a fake Kathryn Charles and Jackie Palm. If all went well, we would eventually end up in the throne room. Adam was carrying a sword, and we all had guns… the rest is easy to figure out.

There was a knock on the door. Linda opened it, and in came the two other girls. Aurey was wearing brown contact lenses to hide her green eyes. She was wearing clothes similar to Kathryn Charles's. Her hair wasn't dyed, because it was the same shade of red as the SPF officer's, but it was cut a few inches. Aurey would be portraying Kathryn tonight.

The other girl was someone who I had only met twice before. Her name was Kiera. Kiera's hair was normally cotton candy pink, but she had dyed it a light brown and cut it. She was wearing brown contacts also, to hide her aquamarine eyes. A pair of fake purple glasses sat on her nose, and she was wearing Jackie Palm's clothes. That was who she would be playing.

We all said goodbye to Linda and thanked her, and headed out into the main square. It was packed with people. Mitch, Jerome, and Louise walked over to me. They each gave me a hug. When the other two had walked away, Mitch quickly pecked me on the cheek. "Good luck," he whispered. "And don't worry, you look just like her. Now remember, say hi to my family for me if you happen to see them, OK?"

"Okay." I answered. I embraced him, and we stood that way for a while, until Adam called that it was time to leave. I broke away from Mitch, with a final goodbye. I began to walk towards Adam. Ashley and Ryan broke apart. He was crying. Aurey left Annie, Tiffany, and Louise. I saw Kiera bid her friends, Krystal and Hannah goodbye, and join the rest of us. Then, the five of us began the long walk to the Squid palace, each of us imagining what we would have to face when we arrived.

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**Okay, I'm sorry for the awful chapter. I promise that in the next one, we will actually see the plan in action. I just needed a filler chapter. Also, it's probably really bad. It rained in my town last night, so all of the 4****th**** of July fireworks started at around 6:00 and will probably continue until around 2:00 in the morning. It's kinda hard to concentrate, so I apologize if this is awful! Anyways, review and tell me about my one-shots! Once again, I will not update until I get 2 reviews! I love you guys!**

** ~SpeckleFish326 **


	18. Backup

**Hey guys! Please don't kill me! I know I haven't updated in forever. I was at a summer Fine Arts camp for two weeks. Then I was just lazy! Anyways, here is the next chapter! Also, if all goes as planned, I will start the one-shots later today! Now on with the story!**

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**Mitch's POV**

I watched Lexi, Ashley, and the others walk through the huge iron gate, the same one that Adam had led us through almost three months before. With a deep breath, I walked back to Lexi's house, and unlocked the door. In the fridge was a round glass bottle, with a translucent gray liquid in it. The bottle was warm to the touch, despite being refrigerated for over a month. The liquid glowed faintly in its bottle, which was labeled 'Bashur's Brewing Co.'

I took the potion from the fridge and hid it in an inside pocket of my jacket. Then, I left the house, locking the door behind me. I walked casually down to the wall. Ian, Tyler, Hannah, and Annie were waiting for me. They all held potion bottles identical to mine.

"Ready?" Annie asked nervously, and we all nodded. Five bottles were uncorked, and five potions were swallowed. Instantly, I felt a tingle go through my body, and my hands disappeared. All I could see of myself was the glass bottle that my invisibility potion had been in.

"This is so weird!" Hannah exclaimed. I couldn't see any of the four people that had been there a second before, only four potion bottles, a pair of sunglasses, and a pair of thick black glasses, all floating in midair.

"Tyler, you should take off your glasses. Ian, you too." said Annie. The thick glasses vanished from view. "I'm wearing contacts," Tyler said. "Good." Hannah replied.

"I can't take off my glasses. You know what will happen! HE's gonna come!" Ian said. We all knew that without his glasses, Ian became THE DERP.

"I have a solution." Tyler said, in a fake British accent. One of the bottles floated into the air and poured a small drop of potion on Ian's sunglasses. The glasses shimmered and disappeared.

"Okay," said Annie. "We're ready."

And I ran down the path, and out of a door hidden in the Cobblestone Wall.

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**Alexa's POV**

We stood in the entrance hall to the squid's palace. The dead body of a squid, probably a servant or a guard, lay in front of us. Adam cleaned the blood off of his sword with a blue rag. I was worried about him. I don't think I was the only one who heard him mutter 'For Ty.' when he stabbed the squid. I was worried for my friend too, but Adam seemed overly obsessed with getting revenge.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I took it out, and saw a text from Mitch. _On our way, tell me if you need backup._ It said. I responded, _be ready. We probably will. Love you._

"We've got backup on the way, just in case." I said. "Good." Aurey replied.

"Let's go, guys." said Kiera. "The throne room is this way." Added Ashley. She began to walk toward a small wooden door. The click of her heels echoed loudly in the empty marble room. Aurey and Kiera followed. I stayed behind for a second.

"Adam." I said.

"What?"

"What's wrong? And don't lie and say nothing."

He sighed. "Lexi, who is your best friend? The person you trust most."

"Mitch." I answered immediately. Adam put his hand on my shoulder.

"Imagine that you're sixteen again. You just had a huge fight with you parents, and you go off to school without saying anything to them. Now, you get out of school and find your entire neighborhood aflame, and your parents are nothing more than ashes. Wouldn't you feel awful?"

"Yes." I said quietly. Adam continued. "Then, years later, Mitch is injured badly, by the same person who killed your parents, and he may not survive. Given the chance, wouldn't you want to kill the person who caused all of that?"

"Yes." I said again.

"There you go." He said. I was silent. We headed toward the door, where the other girls were waiting. "Ready?" said Ashley. We all nodded, and she pushed the door open.

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**Sorry for the bad chapter, we will most likely see the battle in the next chapter! No please excuse me while I work on the one-shots… Love you guys! Please review and tell me about any one-shots you want to be made!**

**~SpeckleFish326**


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